Apex’s rare earth assays elevate Rift among US projects

Apex Critical Metals (CSE: APXC; US-OTC: APXCF) has expanded high-grade rare earth mineralization at its Rift project in southeastern Nebraska, returning multiple intercepts above 4% total rare earth oxides (REO).

Highlights from the latest drilling include 10.2 metres grading 5.27% REO from 178.6 metres depth in hole RIFT26-14 and 8 metres grading 4.48% REO from 273 metres down hole RIFT26-12, Apex said on Wednesday. Both are hosted within mineralized intervals of about 150 metres grading more than 2% REO. Rift is about 100 km south of Lincoln.

The assays include the company’s “best grade x width results south of the discovery area,” CEO Sean Charland said in a release. “The growing mineralized footprint and consistency observed from assay results to-date increases confidence in the shallow west-dipping Trinity Zone and ability to deliver a strong inaugural mineral resource estimate in 2027’s first quarter.”

The results reinforce Rift as one of the higher-grade rare earth discoveries currently being drilled in North America, alongside the nearby NioCorp Developments' (Nasdaq: NB) advanced niobium project in the Elk Creek district. Rift shows repeated intercepts exceeding 2% REO over broad widths that support the discovery’s scale, although the project has yet to publish an initial resource.

Local group

Shares in Apex Critical Metals gained 7.6% to $1.28 apiece by mid-Wednesday in Toronto, valuing the company at more than $123 million. They've traded in a 52-week range of $1.02 to $4.95.

The project joins a small but growing group of U.S. and Canadian rare earth developments that includes MP Materials' (NYSE: MP) producing Mountain Pass mine in California, Defense Metals' (TSXV: DEFN; US-OTC: DFMTF) Wicheeda project in British Columbia and Ucore Rare Metals' (TSXV: UCU; US-OTC: UURAF) planned Louisiana rare earth separation plant.

Apex's latest assays build on strong results reported in April, May and July, including RIFT26-002, which cut 81.6 metres grading 2.02% REO from 221.2 metres depth; RIFT26-005A, which returned 137.2 metres grading 2.01% REO from 252.6 metres; and RIFT26-008, which intersected 191.9 metres grading 2.5% REO from 211.5 metres, including 14.9 metres grading 5.09% REO from 244.5 metres and 12.3 metres grading 5.63% REO from 257.1 metres.

High-value zone

Drilling in April and May also identified a zone enriched in neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), which suggested the project may contain locally enhanced concentrations of the highest-value magnet rare earths.

Hole RIFT26-002 averaged 49% NdPr over 10 metres at 0.75% REO. In May, hole RIFT26-003 expanded the NdPr-enriched horizon over at least 120 metres of strike.

Apex has outlined mineralization over more than 700 metres of strike that remains open in all directions in the Elk Creek carbonatite complex. The company’s drilling is aimed at expanding the footprint ahead of the initial resource.

Rare earth projects outside China have attracted growing investor attention as the United States and its allies seek domestic supplies of magnet materials used in AI, electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence applications.